


A Shirt Too Far

by inviernos



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alcohol, Food, Gen, shirtlessness: origins
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-18
Updated: 2017-08-18
Packaged: 2018-12-17 02:23:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11841993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inviernos/pseuds/inviernos
Summary: The first time Gladio forgot an undershirt really had been just an accident, but Gladio knew the others would never let him live it down.Plus, he could cut down on laundry doing this anyway.





	A Shirt Too Far

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for Day 6 of FFXV Week for the "what are you wearing?!" prompt.  
> Or in Gladio's case, not wearing.

“Alright, did you all get that?”  Gladio yelled to the room full of recruits.

A resounding “yes, sir!” echoed throughout the auditorium.

“Good,” Gladio said, leaving them to practice what he had just helped teach.

“Now I gotta bolt.”  He said to Libertus who was now back in charge.

“You sure you’ll be alright by yourself?” Gladio asked the older man.

“Yeah I’ll watch them, go.  Have fun,” he said.  “Thanks for helping me with this lesson.”

“Any time, sir,” said Gladio.

“I thought I told you not to call me ‘sir.’  Get out of here, we’ll see you tomorrow then?” Libertus raised an eyebrow at Gladio.

“Yup, I’ll be here!” he nodded.  “Later!”

“Yep!” Libertus called as he walked out of the door.

Once the door was closed behind him, Gladiolus ran from the auditorium that served as training room in the Citadel.  He needed to get in and out of the locker room as quickly as he could if he wanted to meet the others on time.

He dug around in his backpack to find the clean shirt he brought and felt nothing resembling the fabric of his favorite black shirt.  In desperation, he dumped out the contents and dug around; a magazine, his button-up shirt, money, and various other effects fell out but there was no plain black shirt.

No one else was around for him to ask to borrow a shirt, and since he was currently dealing with a healing tattoo, he was skeptical anyone who did happen to have an extra shirt had one that wouldn’t be too tight on him.

Gladio absolutely was not going to wear his training uniform to the theater.  There was no other choice than to throw on his Crownsguard button up.  Unfortunately though, it had been a while since it had been tailored for him and it had just been getting tighter.  The last time he tried to button it up across his chest, he’d almost lost a few buttons.  He’d been meaning to get another one made, but it just kept slipping his mind.

He would just have to leave it unbuttoned, he had seen other people in the street wearing less clothes, and he figured he would be fine.  He had no reason to be embarrassed anyway if he did say so himself, and if anyone asked, it was for the sake of his tattoo.

No one bat an eye as he made his way out of the Citadel and onto the city streets.  He walked as fast as he could, checking the time on his phone.  Thankfully the theater was only a few streets down, but he didn’t want to keep the other guys waiting; he was already mentally preparing himself for their comments about his lack of a shirt anyway.

But Gladio did have to admit it was nice walking down the street with the air cooling his bare skin after a pretty intense practice.

After a few more moments of walking down the busy street, careful to not bump into anyone with how fast he was going, the theater was finally within sight.  He pulled out his phone to text Ignis, but put it right back as he locked eyes with the man as he turned around near the box office.

If Gladio could see himself, he was sure that his face had turned a few shades redder as his friend very obviously looked down at his bare torso and shook his head.  The prince appeared from behind Ignis just seconds later, and copied Ignis’ exact actions.

“You’ve got to be kidding.”  Noctis let out a snort.

“Well hello to you too,” said Gladio.

“Well, I wish I could say I’m surprised…unfortunately I’m not,” said Ignis.

“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Gladio joked.

“Listen, I forgot my clean shirt,” Gladio began to explain.

“Sure,” Noctis said sarcastically.  “So that means you can’t button up that shirt either?”

“…It doesn’t button up all the way anymore.”  Gladio admitted.

“Gladio!”  Ignis said in disbelief. 

“I know, I meant to get a new one made a while ago but I’ve been busy.”  Gladio shrugged.

“We’re going to the tailor tomorrow morning,” said Ignis while Noctis laughed in the background. 

“No more putting it off.  I hope they still let us in with you in tow.”

“Eh, I’ve seen people here wearing a lot less out,” Gladio thought out loud.

Gladio had started to become a little nervous; he had already gotten used to the feeling of not wearing a shirt and could have almost forgotten he didn’t even have one on if the other two hadn’t kept reminding him. 

He could almost forget that most establishments preferred patrons wear clothes inside, as he bought his movie ticket with ease and all the usher did was glance at his tattoo peeking out from his shirt. 

Either no one really cared or he truly had the best connections around.

“See?  No problem,” he said to Ignis.

“Consider yourself lucky this time.  Though I think most places in the Crown City still have a dress code whether you’re friends with the prince or not.”

“Mhmm.”  Gladio rolled his eyes when he knew Ignis couldn’t see.

“It’s really not that bad though,” said Gladio as they made their way into the theater.

“It’s pretty freeing.  You should try it sometime.”

“Don’t need to feel that free,” said Ignis.

“Think I feel free enough, Gladio,” said Noctis.

“I think I could cut down on some laundry this way too,” Gladio laughed.

“Whatever you say, big guy.”  Noctis shook his head yet again.

~

Gladio brought his arms above his head into a quick stretch, before he followed the rest of the guys in the direction of the diner.  After so many hours of driving that ended up in walking around the desert area of Leide, it would feel so good to finally sit down and have a proper meal. 

While they were glad to do what she asked of them, he hadn’t been expecting the small hunts and favors Cindy had sent them on while work was being done to the Regalia.  But then again none of them had expected the Regalia to break down where it did, either.

But now with a few gil in hand, they could sit down and enjoy _something_ finally.  Even if it was just food.

“I swear, if you get us kicked out of this place…” Noctis turned back to glare at Gladio.

“Not gonna happen,” the shield smirked back at the young prince. 

“They know you here,” Gladio reassured him, “plus if they have one of those signs, I’ll go change, promise.”

The four men entered the cool air of the diner.  Though he was fairly sure no one was going to say anything, Gladio felt relieved that none of the patrons inside had really bat an eye at him when they set foot into the diner.  Sure, he had always gotten a look here or there because of his height and the tattoo that took up most of his upper body, but if no one actually said anything he had nothing to worry about. 

But it was still in the back of his mind.  It had been a long time since he’d been outside of Insomnia, and he might not be able to get away with things he had become accustomed to back in the Crown City. 

His mind was put to ease as the man running the counter greeted them kindly.

“Cid’s friends,” he said with a smile.  “Name’s Takka.  What can I do for you?”

“Could really go for a nice meal, right about now,” said Gladio, leaning against the counter.

“Well, menu’s right up there,” the man gestured behind him.  “Let me know when y’all are ready and I’ll have it out as soon as possible for ya.”

There was a mixture of all four of their voices mumbling in thanks before Takka walked away to serve some other customers.

“So what do you lot want?”  Ignis asked while browsing the menu on the wall.

“Ignis I’m so hungry I think I’m gonna die,” Prompto whined as he slumped over the top of the counter.

“Well that’s one less meal we’ll have to pay for then,” said Ignis nonchalantly as he continued looking up at the menu.

“Hey!”  Prompto yelled; immediately sitting straight up and pouting at him.

“Why don’t you two eat first and then you can decide if you still wanna argue, okay?”  Gladio emerged as the voice of reason for once.

“Takka,” Gladio called out so that the boys could finally place their orders.

“Go right on ahead,” said the man.

Gladio decided he would try the hot sandwich with a beer, while the rest of the guys stuck to the jambalaya.  It didn’t take very long for the man to get their food out to them, and even less time for everyone to devour everything on their plates.  For as quickly as it seemed the food had been prepared, it sure hadn’t tasted like it.  Maybe it was just how long they had waited to eat, but it had to be one of the best meals Gladio had ever had and he made sure to let Takka know. 

Soon after though, they began to feel their meals and fell into a comfortable silence sitting at the counter.  They sat around yawning to themselves for what seemed like forever, the day’s events finally catching up to them.

“So why _do_ you just not wear a shirt?  Do you even own shirts that close?”  Prompto finally broke the silence, a small laugh in his voice.

 “I dunno,” Gladio shrugged, smiling to himself.  “It beats actually wearing a shirt, I guess.”

“That’s not an answer,” Prompto scoffed.

“He showed up to the movies one night a couple years ago shirtless, and that was the beginning of the end.”  Noctis picked his head up from where he had been resting on the counter.

“ _Allegedly_ he forgot his clean shirt,” Noctis looked at Gladio.  “Allegedly.”

“I really did though!”  Gladio maintained. 

“I thought I brought it and it wasn’t in my bag…I didn’t wanna miss the movie so I just left.”  Gladio shook his head at having to retell a story he’d told many times over the last couple of years.

They were never going to let him live this down.

“Sure, Gladio.”  Noctis smirked.

“Have you ever gotten in trouble though?” Prompto asked.

“Got kicked out of the library that one time.  Remember that Iggy?” Gladio laughed.

“Unfortunately yes,” Ignis agreed. 

“You really offended the librarian then.  If memory serves me correctly, she said you were disrespecting the books.”

“I never knew that,” Noctis laughed.

“That’s hilarious,” said Prompto through sleep in his voice.

“And once Noct is king Gladio’ll have to wear all those heavy Crownsguard garments like his dad anyway, won’t he?”

“Assuming Noctis doesn’t change the formal dress rules, then yes,” said Ignis.

“And I will not be changing the formal dress rules.”  Noctis narrowed his eyes at Gladio, a smile on his face.

“I can wear a damn shirt, you guys,” said an exasperated Gladio before laughing at the fact that this is what their post-dinner conversation had devolved to.

“But for now, why bother when I don’t have to?”  Gladio shrugged.

“He’s right,” said Prompto.  “Let him enjoy it while it lasts, I guess.  He’s probably the only one of us who could get away with it anyway.”

“As soon as I’m crowned, you’re putting on the heaviest Crownsguard attire in history…so many layers, dude,” said Noctis.

Gladio could barely tell if he was even joking at that point.

“Yeah, cause that’s what being King’s Shield is all about…how heavy your royal attire is,” said Gladio, laughing before bringing his beer up to his mouth for another drink.

“You know it,” Noctis joked.

“Bring it on, Prince Charmless,” Gladio said unflinchingly, locking eyes with him over his beer before he continued. 

“I’m ready whenever you are.”

**Author's Note:**

> As always, thanks for reading if you made it this far :3


End file.
